In many lighting applications it is desirable to have lighting systems or luminaires that are lightweight and that may be packaged and shipped easily at relatively low cost. This is particularly important for design and advertising samples, where large numbers of lamps are shipped individually to many different recipients. Such samples also desirably meet certain aesthetic design requirements to highlight the virtues of the illumination source and/or luminaire. In many cases it is difficult to meet both of these requirements because the weight, material, and/or size constraints for low-cost packaging and shipping are at odds with the design of the luminaire.
In view of the foregoing, a need exists for systems and techniques enabling the low-cost design and manufacture of illumination systems combining high-quality design and ease of packing and/or shipping at low cost.